“Citizens United poised to destroy judicial impartiality”

Former Montana Supreme Court Justice James C. Nelson, Supreme who dissented (and was ultimately vindicated) by the United States Supreme Court in ATP v. Bullock, has written this oped for the Missoulian.

[A}ccording to the Supreme Court, while contributions directly to a candidate breed corruption, corporate expenditures on behalf of a candidate do not have any such corruptive effect.

For those living in a parallel universe that nuance may make sense, but, in reality it is a dichotomy grounded in utter fiction. Worse, this canard presents a clear and present danger for the majority of states, like Montana, where voters elect their judges and justices. Citizens United applies to judicial elections, too. Make no mistake; its effects will dominate judicial elections.